The global energy system proved more resilient than expected after one of the most severe geopolitical stress tests in fifty years, according to the ADIPEC Global Energy Trends 2026 report, with 64% of industry insiders saying so.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, which at its peak removed roughly 14% of global oil and gas supply, did not trigger a collapse. Instead, 72% of respondents expect the Middle East’s global importance to rise significantly over the next decade, and the region was ranked the top regional investment opportunity at 30%.
Energy trade and capital are re-anchoring along a Gulf-Asia corridor, with 85% of respondents saying energy is more attractive for investment than five years ago. Meanwhile, 81% expect AI-driven electricity demand to exceed official forecasts. Executives now see execution speed, rather than access to capital, as the main constraint, and 77% remain optimistic about the decade ahead.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer